Rhino began its elaborate Chicago reissue series in 2002 with Chicago's Complete Greatest Hits: Only the Beginning, a double-disc set that covers 39 hits from all of Chicago's eras -- from the early jazzy records, through the soft rock hits sung by Peter Cetera, to the post-Cetera adult contemporary records of the '80s, and beyond. It's the first compilation to cover this much ground, actually -- 1991's Group Portrait stopped around Cetera's departure -- and while it may go a little bit farther than some would want (a cover of Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" from their 1995 neo-swing album closes the set; it happens to feature the Gipsy Kings on support), it nevertheless is very satisfying, since it rounds up all of the hits, and Chicago was at their very best for hits. For anybody who has been holding on to all three Greatest Hits collections, this will replace them all, since it has almost every song from all three, plus remastered sound. Indeed, this is the definitive word on the group -- perhaps a fan favorite or two is missing, but everything you need is here, in a more concise, user-friendly shape than the Group Portrait box while offering more than any of the hits collections. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
John Campbell (Keyboards), Gipsy Kings (Flamenco Guitar), Chicago (Producer), Chicago (Main Performer), Chicago (Original Recording Producer), Jeremy Lubbock (String Arrangements), Bill Watrous (Arranger), Bill Watrous (Orchestration), Dominic Frontiere (Orchestration), Patrick Williams (Orchestration), David Foster (Piano), David Foster (Arranger), David Foster (Keyboards), David Foster (Producer), David Foster (Original Recording Producer), Bill Champlin (Guitar), Bill Champlin (Keyboards), Bill Champlin (Vocals), Robert Lamm (Percussion), Robert Lamm (Keyboards), Robert Lamm (Vocals), Hank Altman (Engineer), Phillip Ashley (Keyboards), Dawayne Bailey (Guitar), Dawayne Bailey (Vocals), Aaron Baron (Engineer), Roy Bittan (Producer), Michael Boddicker (Synthesizer Programming), Reverend Dave Boruff (Synthesizer Programming), Jim Boyer (Engineer), Jim Boyer (Mixing), Hugh Brown (Art Direction), Robbie Buchanan (Keyboards), Erich Bulling (Synthesizer Programming), Fred Catero (Engineer), Peter Cetera (Bass), Peter Cetera (Vocals), Kenny Cetera (Vocals (Background)), Tim Cetera (Vocals (Background)), Tamara Champlin (Vocals (Background)), Chaka Khan (Vocals (Background)), Chaka Khan (?), Luis Conte (Percussion), Paulinho Da Costa (Percussion), Donnie Dacus (Guitar), Donnie Dacus (Vocals), Larry Dahlstrom (Engineer), Lee DeCarlo (Engineer), Tom Dowd (Producer), Kiki Epsen (Keyboards), Kiki Epsen (Programming), Bruce Fairbairn (Producer), Bruce Fairbairn (Mixing), Bruce Fairbairn (Original Recording Producer), Howard "Buzz" Feiten (Guitar), Bruce Gaitsch (Guitar), Carlos Garcia (Engineer), Guille Garcia (Percussion), Guille Garcia (Conga), Humberto Gatica (Engineer), Humberto Gatica (Remixing), Humberto Gatica (Mixing), Don Gehman (Engineer), Bud Graham (Engineer), Gary Grant (Trumpet), Gary Grant (Flugelhorn), James William Guercio (Guitar (Acoustic)), James William Guercio (Bass), James William Guercio (Guitar), James William Guercio (Producer), James William Guercio (Original Recording Producer), James Guthrie (Mixing), Jimmie Haskell (Orchestration), Jimmie Haskell (String Arrangements), Jimmie Haskell (Orchestral Arrangements), Chris Hinshaw (Engineer), Keith Howland (Guitar), Tris Imboden (Harmonica), Tris Imboden (Drums), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar), Alan Jardine (Vocals (Background)), Charles Judge (Keyboards), Terry Kath (Guitar), Terry Kath (Percussion), Terry Kath (Vocals), Jeff Katz (Photography), Peter Kaye (Programming), John Keane (Drums), Stephen "Doc" Kupka (Sax (Baritone)), Joe Lala (Conga), Michael Landau (Guitar), Rhett Lawrence (Synthesizer Programming), Lee Loughnane (Percussion), Lee Loughnane (Trumpet), Lee Loughnane (Flugelhorn), Lee Loughnane (Vocals), Lee Loughnane (Remastering), Steve Lukather (Guitar), David McLees (Producer), Sy Mitchell (Engineer), Othello Molineaux (Drums (Steel)), Erwin Musper (Engineer), Erwin Musper (Mixing), Brian Ross-Myring (Engineer), Ron Nevison (Producer), Ron Nevison (Engineer), Ron Nevison (Original Recording Producer), J.G. O'Rafferty (Pedal Steel), David Paich (Synthesizer), James Pankow (Percussion), James Pankow (Trombone), James Pankow (Vocals), Walter Parazaider (Percussion), Walter Parazaider (Vocals), Walter Parazaider (Woodwind), Ted Perlman (Engineer), Gary Peterson (Discographical Annotation), Chris Pinnick (Guitar), Steve Porcaro (Keyboard Programming), Steve Porcaro (Synthesizer Programming), Gerard Prevost (Producer), Don Puluse (Engineer), Phil Ramone (Mixing), Phil Ramone (Original Recording Producer), Alex Rodriguez (Engineer), Marcus Ryle (Synthesizer Programming), Chas Sandford (Guitar), Chas Sandford (Producer), Chas Sandford (Engineer), Chas Sandford (Mixing), Chas Sandford (Original Recording Producer), Jason Scheff (Bass), Jason Scheff (Vocals), Bill Schnee (Mixing), Daniel Seraphine (Percussion), Daniel Seraphine (Drums), Daniel Seraphine (Vocals), Daniel Seraphine (Drum Programming), Armin Steiner (String Engineer), Wayne Tarnowski (Engineer), Ed Thacker (Engineer), Ed Thacker (Mixing), Ed Thacker (Live Recording Mixer), Bo Tomlyn (Synthesizer Programming), Efrain Toro (Keyboards), Efrain Toro (Drum Programming), Blue Weaver (Synthesizer Strings), Greg Walsh (Mixing), Mervyn Warren (Producer), Lou Waxman (Engineer), Leroy Williams (Drums (Steel)), Shelly Berg (Arranger), Shelly Berg (Orchestration), Jeff Guercio (Engineer), Mike Murphy (Programming), Mike Murphy (Cowbell), Hawk Wolinski (Synthesizer), Hawk Wolinski (Arp), Michael Carnevale (Engineer), Nicolás Reyes (Vocals), Norman Seeff (Photography), Greg Adams (Trumpet), Greg Adams (Flugelhorn), David Donnelly (Remastering), Maria Villar (Art Direction), Maria Villar (Design), Steve Woolard (Project Assistant), Jeff Magid (Remastering), Gary McGachen (Engineer), Patchai Reyes (Vocals), Carl Wilson (Vocals (Background)), Tonino Baliardo (Guitar), Peter Mayer (Programming), Tom Keane (Keyboards), Randy Perry (Project Assistant), Amy Utstein (Project Assistant), John Von Tongeren (Synthesizer Programming), Leigh Hall (Project Assistant), Dan Huff (Guitar), Mike Engstrom (Product Manager), Cory Frye (Editorial Supervision), April Milek (Project Assistant), Tim Scanlin (Liner Notes), Laudir DeOliveira (Percussion), Laudir DeOliveira (Conga), Laudir DeOliveira (Vocals), Bill DeYoung (Liner Notes)
